


put some records on while i pour.

by porcelainsimplicity



Series: stereo hearts. [6]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - America, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16351007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity
Summary: but maybe just a half a drink more, put some records on while i pour.or: it's Christmas Eve.  Rey is not happy.  But Ben has a plan.





	put some records on while i pour.

There was a Christmas tree up in the sitting room, there were lights draped all over their balcony along with a light up snowman that Ben had fallen in love with, and there was a stack of presents hiding in the pantry in the kitchen. It was a setting for the perfect Christmas, the one the two of them were going to spend together, just the two of them, for the first time.

Which is why Rey was currently in the kitchen, drinking whiskey straight from the bottle while the sounds of laughter echoed in from the sitting room. About an hour earlier, the bell had rung, and when she'd opened the door, she'd found Finn, Poe, and Rose standing there, Santa hats on their heads and presents in their arms. She almost slammed the door in their face, but Ben had walked into the room at that moment and invited them in, much to Rey's disappointment. She loved her three best friends, she really did, but it was Christmas Eve and they were very much aware of the fact that Rey and Ben were supposed to be alone.

Rose wandered into the kitchen as more laughter roared, and she took one look at Rey before sighing. "Come join us, Rey."

"No." If Rey's tone was curt, well, that just didn't matter.

Rose walked over to her and leaned up against the counter, reaching out and pulling the bottle from Rey's hands. "You came in here to get us drinks an hour ago," she pointed out. "Come on, Rey. Come enjoy the evening."

"I was going to enjoy my evening," Rey said bitterly. "Me and Ben. Remember how I stressed that at the shop this morning. This Christmas was supposed to be just me and Ben."

Rose just shook her head. "Bring that up with Ben then, because he's the one who invited us."

Rey stared at her for a minute before snatching the bottle back from Rose and taking a long drink from it. "Then take Ben with you and leave, and I'll spend Christmas by myself."

"You are such an idiot, you know that?" Rose sighed heavily and turned around, opening the cabinet she knew the liquor was stored in and grabbing a bottle and four glasses. "If you ever get your head out of your ass and decide you want to join us, there's a nice seat on the sofa next to Ben waiting for you."

Rey watched as Rose walked out of the kitchen and drank some more. It didn't matter that there was an open seat next to Ben. It mattered that the other seats were occupied. Not for the first time, Rey cursed having the three of them for friends. Alright, so maybe the five of them did practically everything together, but she needed some time alone with Ben, dammit. And they knew that, and they showed up anyway.

Poe was the next one to come into the kitchen, this time searching for snacks. He took one look at Rey and shook his head. "You're being so social, Rey, I'd almost think you liked us."

"Shut up," Rey murmured. "You're ruining my Christmas and I'm not happy about it."

"No one is ruining your Christmas except for you, Rey." Poe started searching through a cabinet while Rey drank some more. "Come join us. We're about to start singing carols."

"No thank you," Rey said, and Poe just shook his head again as he grabbed a few bags from the cabinet and left the kitchen.

After a few minutes, Rey heard the sound of the four of them singing Jingle Bells and she almost threw the bottle across the room. She wasn't in the mood for Christmas carols, she wasn't in the mood for laughs, she wasn't in the mood for the company of anyone other than Ben. Why was it that no one understood that?

Finn wandered into the kitchen after the thirteenth carol, and he walked straight over to Rey and grabbed her by the elbow. "Stop hiding in the goddamn kitchen, Rey. Have some freaking fun."

Rey wretched her elbow away from Finn's grasp and glared at him. "I was going to have fun tonight, but then you three showed up."

Finn grabbed Rey by the elbow again and started dragging her out of the kitchen. "Stop being such an asshole, Rey."

Finn managed to get Rey out of the kitchen before Rey got free, and even though everyone was looking at her, Rey turned right around and went back into the kitchen. She didn't care about whatever it was they were doing. She wanted no part of it.

And then Ben came into the kitchen. Rey looked up at him and smiled, because her automatic response when seeing Ben was to smile, and Ben walked over to her, wrapping his arms around Rey's waist.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Ben buried his face in Rey's neck and they stayed like that for a long time before Ben started humming. Rey recognized the song immediately, and jokingly, she quietly sang the first line. "I really can't stay."

"But baby, it's cold outside," Ben sang back, so Rey sang the next line.

"I've got to go away."

"But baby, it's cold outside."

"This evening has been."

"Been hoping you'd drop in."

Rey knew what the next line was, but she couldn't bring herself to sing it. "This evening has not been nice."

Ben pulled back and looked Rey in the eyes, and Rey melted, because Ben's eyes were so full of love that she couldn't take it. "Rey, it's not been horrible either."

"It has been for me."

"I know you're mad that I invited them, but I had my reasons."

Rey sighed heavily. "I'd like to hear them."

"Being alone with you on Christmas scared me," Ben said. "That's a pretty big thing, to spend Christmas alone with each other. Last year, we went to visit our own families for Christmas. I thought we were going to do the same this year, and then suddenly, we're not. And it scared me."

"Ben," Rey started, but Ben just shook his head.

"I got this idea in my head once you said we should spend Christmas alone," Ben murmured. "And then yesterday I got cold feet and invited them over."

"And what was this idea?" Rey asked, sighing contentedly as Ben brushed kisses along her jaw.

"It's in my pocket," Ben whispered.

Rey set the bottle on the counter behind her and stuck her hands into the pockets of Ben's trousers. Her right hand closed around a box, and she pulled it out of the pocket, looking at it curiously. "What's this?"

"Open it and find out," Ben said, his voice nervous and shaky.

Rey gave him a glance before taking the lid off the small box, and then she almost dropped it out of shock. Inside the box rested a diamond ring on a piece of red velvet, and Rey suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe.

"I know the line is five golden rings," Ben murmured, "but I thought only the one was necessary."

Rey tried to find her voice and couldn't, so she pulled Ben into a deep kiss.

Ben tightened his arms around Rey's waist and swallowed hard. "So, what do you say? You want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"I've never wanted anything more," Rey whispered, and Ben broke out into a grin.

"Then let's get that ring on, shall we?"

Rey's hand was shaking as she pulled the ring out of the box, and Ben took it from her, reaching for Rey's other hand and sliding it onto the appropriate finger. "It fits perfectly," Rey said, amazed. "How?"

"I may have wrapped some string around your finger while you were asleep one morning to make sure I got the right size," Ben said, smiling.

Rey pulled him into a deep kiss, trying to put everything she was feeling into it. Eventually Ben pulled away, and he glanced towards the sitting room, where their friends were still singing Christmas carols.

"You want to put some records on while I pour?" Ben asked, making Rey laugh.

"I don't remember the next line."

"That's okay," Ben said, linking their hands together and starting to walk towards the sitting room. "I've got the rest of our lives to teach you."

Rey walked into the sitting room with a huge smile on her face, suddenly feeling like this was the best Christmas of her life.


End file.
